Undiscovered First
by Willow Onyx
Summary: I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. —Nelson Mandela
1. Chapter 1

_Shadows of the mountain_  
 _Don't tell them what's under_  
 _The breadth and the height_  
 _Of an undiscovered first_

-Undiscovered First; **by Feist**

* * *

"It's almost done, I promise." Lani glanced at her Marowak, seeing the pained look on his face. The Fire/Ghost Pokémon was wincing slightly, holding his flaming bone club tightly in one hand as Lani applied medication to his free arm. Lani, Marowak, and Lani's other Pokémon friend, Mimikyu, had been on the run from a group of people. In their eyes, Lani had done something unforgivable. One of them had sent out a Togedemaru, who unleashed a surprisingly powerful Pin Missile. Marowak had gotten hit by one on his arm, which caused significant damage. Lani and her Pokémon managed to escape, but it was only a matter of time before they found her again. After applying one last layer of medication, Lani bandaged it up and gave a tight-lipped smile Marowak's way. "All done," she said. "How does it feel?"

Looking at his bandaged arm, Marowak tried moving it, but gave a grimace. He couldn't move his arm that much. Looking at Lani, he nodded his approval. Lani nodded back. Marowak was a serious Pokémon, not known to openly display his emotions unless he really had to. For Lani, she had known Marowak since he was a Cubone, but he'd been a wild Pokémon at the time. Cubone had been wandering, young and alone, looking for something. He eventually came across Lani's family's farm, where he befriended a young Lani. Lani's parents refused to let Cubone stay on the property, but Lani made sure he had a place to stay nearby. Once she was old enough to go out on her own, Lani and Cubone were practically inseparable.

Though, the more she thinks about it, the more Lani has to remind herself that Marowak was, in a sense, still a wild Pokémon. She never officially captured him with any form of PokéBall. He chose to stay with her, which was why sometimes Lani would occasionally remind herself that Marowak was still wild. If he chose to, he could leave at any time. They'd spent years together, growing stronger together, and Lani couldn't imagine the Bone Keeper Pokémon leaving her out of the blue.

 _"(You did your best),"_ Marowak said softly. _"(That's all anyone can ask for)."_

"I still feel responsible." The saddened tone in Lani's voice didn't go unnoticed; it even captured Mimikyu's attention. The small Ghost/Fairy-type had been keeping an eye out and, for the most part, paying little attention to what her friends were doing. "You wouldn't have gotten hurt if it hadn't been for me," Lani sighed.

 _"(Marowak's not hurt too badly),"_ Mimikyu responded, trying to lighten the mood. _"(You gave him some medicine and now he's all bandaged up! He'll be better in no time)."_

A smile came across the young girl's face. The Disguise Pokémon had a bright side to her, knowing what to say to lighten the mood, even if it didn't entirely work. Mimikyu was relatively young, having been found by Lani shortly after the Ghost/Fairy-type had hatched from an Egg. Mimikyu instantly attached herself to Lani, and it was decided that she'd be a new addition to Lani's unofficial team.

Giving the small Pokémon a smile, Lani nodded. "You're right," she said. Looking around the small room they were currently occupying, the young girl let out a sigh. "We should probably stay here the night. Or...at least until it's done raining. What do you guys think?"

The rain started not long after Lani and her Pokémon managed to outrun their pursuers. It worried the young girl, considering that not only was Marowak injured, but also a Fire-type Pokémon. She tried her best to keep him dry, but it didn't work out the way she'd hoped. Thankfully, though, the flames on his bone club didn't get put out. It wasn't long after, though, that they found a shed. Lani hurried her Pokémon in and that was where they stayed.

 _"(Staying the night would be more appropriate),"_ Marowak said. _"(Then we can leave in the morning, get some more distance between us)."_

 _"(That's a good idea),"_ Mimikyu said.

"OK," Lani responded. "We'll stay the night, leave early tomorrow morning."

The three of them decided to get comfortable, it was probably going to be a long night.

 ** _. . . ._**

It was late into the night, and Lani found herself unable to go to sleep. Marowak and Mimikyu were sleeping soundly near the shed's only door. Despite Marowak's injured arm, he was still capable of fighting, and Mimikyu had a decent moveset, as well. Sitting up from where she slept, balled up on her side at the very back of the small shed, Lani crawled over to where her bag was. Inside, along with some personal belongings and medicine, was a single PokéBall — a Premier Ball, to be exact. Inside the Premier Ball was a Pokémon, said to be unstable and reckless. It was because Lani took this Pokémon that the group of people chased them, that Marowak got hurt.

Picking up the Premier Ball, Lani's jaw set, her brows furrowing. If she let the Pokémon out of its Ball, then it'd go on a rampage and those people would be able to find them. Lani wanted to ensure the Pokémon had a foundation of trust with her, but she didn't get the chance. It was a quick capture and go. She wouldn't be surprised if the Pokémon _hated_ her.

Seeing something wrap around her wrist, Lani yelped in surprise before she saw Mimikyu standing there, a black ghostly arm extending from underneath the Pikachu disguise she made. The small eyes that were stationed at the belly of her disguised looked up at Lani pleadingly. Mimikyu and Marowak were very much aware of the Pokémon inside the Premier Ball, and the strength it had.

"I wasn't going to do anything," Lani said quietly. "I just couldn't help but..."

 _"(It's OK),"_ Mimikyu said softly. _"(It's just...we don't want to have anything happen)."_

"No." Lani put the Premier Ball back into her bag. "We don't."

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **This is my first Pokémon story, so if you guys are willing to be patient with me, I'd appreciate it. Not only that, but I'd also appreciate any help from you guys. Since I grew up with the Pok** **émon games/anime/trading cards, I thought it'd be fun to do a story about my most favorite childhood game/show/etc. Though I must admit, I don't watch the SUN and MOON anime series very often. I tried watching a couple episodes, but the new animation just irritates me _(I know it's not a good enough reason, but the show's been my favorite since I was, like, five; so seeing the new animation did get me mad)_. Though I did hear about there being a few episodes where Brock and Misty returned. I don't really know if those episodes have been released yet, though.**

 **But, as you've noticed, hopefully at least, this story will be based in the anime's SUN and MOON storyline. This story won't be following any of the show's episodes or anything, if you were wondering about that.**

 **I own nothing in this franchise. All I own are my characters and the subplots I put in.**

 **If you're wondering why I didn't go into detail on anything, or why this chapter may be so confusing, I'll try and go into detail on characters and everything in future updates. So don't worry too much on that.**

 **And...that's about it.**

 **Like I said before, help from you guys will be awesome.**

 **Thanks a bunch.**

 **Willow**


	2. Chapter 2

_And I never minded being on my own_  
 _Then something broke in me and I wanted to go home_  
 _To be where you are_  
 _But even closer to you, you seem so very far_  
 _And now I'm reaching out with every note I sing_  
 _And I hope it gets to you on some pacific wind_  
 _Wraps itself around you and whispers in your ear_  
 _Tells you that I miss you and I wish that you were here_

-Wish That You Were Here; **by** **Florence and the Machine**

* * *

 _Sitting on the edge of her bed, Lani looked at the strands of hair that were between her thumb and forefinger. Lani's mother had expressed on multiple occasions how unhappy she was with the color of her daughter's hair, and it always —_ always _— made for Lani feeling embarrassed and a little self-conscious. It was almost like her mother was_ blaming _her for having red hair, for not looking_ exactly _like her siblings. But Lani had to keep in mind that she had a different father than her siblings, that was the main reason she didn't look entirely like them. That didn't seem to matter, though. According to her mother, she didn't look "beautiful" enough. Lani's red hair and brown eyes, in contrast to her mother's and siblings' blonde hair and green eyes, made her stand out. It made her, according to her mother, ugly._

 _Lani's mother threw around words like "beautiful" and "ugly" shamelessly. She didn't care if it hurt anyone, she didn't care if she said it about family. If someone wasn't beautiful enough for her, they weren't as important. So that meant Lani wasn't as important. She tried to assure herself that there had to be_ something _about herself that her mother liked, since she did seem to be kind to her sometimes, but it wasn't often._

 _Dropping the red hairs, the young girl hunched her shoulders, feeling a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Could she really stand more of her mother calling her names? How much more could Lani take? Her mother's dismissive behavior seemed to hurt more than being called ugly, but the woman's short temper was even more scary. Lani's mother demanded that her children show "unwavering loyalty" to her, something she believed was required of her children whether they wanted to do so or not. Any child who showed signs of disloyal behavior would simply be rejected, that was what Lani could gather. Her eldest brother seemed to start showing rebellious behavior, and it was starting to get on their mother's nerves. Lani's older sister wasn't displaying the same behavior as their brother, but she was showing subtle signs of something else. If they were brave enough to stand up in some way to their mother, then maybe Lani could, too._

 ** _. . . ._**

Slowly sitting up, the young girl felt a familiar sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She hadn't experienced a feeling like that in a long time. Lani let out a sigh, rubbing the bleariness out of her eyes as she tried to process everything. Memories of her family always made her a bit emotional, and she hated it. Lani loved her older siblings, she did, it was just difficult to truly care for their mother. Their mother was selfish and uncaring. Aside from words like "beautiful" and "ugly" being thrown around, their mother used the word "love" loosely. "Love" was used when Lani and her siblings displayed _loyal_ behavior to their mother, when Lani and her siblings were younger and more obedient. As they grew older, becoming less obedient, their mother's "love" became less and less.

 _"(Are you OK)?"_ Mimikyu asked. With a small smile, Lani nodded. The small Ghost/Fairy-type Pokémon looked at Marowak worriedly, the Bone Keeper Pokémon, who awoke before anyone, looked just as concerned for Lani.

"We should probably go," the young girl suggested. "We shouldn't stay in here any longer than necessary."

 _ **. . . .**_

Lani thought her entire foundation growing up was normal. She mostly lived with her father, Ramon, on his farm. On occasion, Lani's mother would come to visit; she didn't actually live with Ramon or Lani. In all actuality, Lani had to wonder if her parents were even married. A lot of the visits her mother arranged were usually business related, short and to the point. Very rarely did the young girl ever get real quality time with her mother. It was sad, in Lani's opinion, that her mother cared more about her work than her own child — her own _children_. Her mother never went into detail on what it was that took up most of her time, and the only thing Lani really understood about her mother's work was that it was "big, important, and only capable of being done by her, the president of the company". Still, in her young mind, Lani was upset that her mother never really wanted to see her. She would be so happy to see her mother, but the older woman would barely blink in her direction in her short visits. It mostly consisted of Ramon handing over specific Pokémon for reasons unknown to Lani.

There was one visit the young girl remembered vividly. Her mother had come to visit in request to a Pokémon Ramon had, an Eevee. Lani had to be at least six at the time, and she hadn't seen her mother in over five and a half months. When Ramon had delivered the news her mother was briefly visiting to retrieve an Eevee, one who'd recovered from an injury, Lani had been excited. Not only was the Evolution Pokémon going to have a new home, but Lani was going to see her _mother_ , for the first time in what felt like forever. When the day rolled around to her mother's arrival, Lani dressed up as nicely as she could, having brushed her hair and washed her face, too. Her mother didn't even look her way, didn't even acknowledge her. She simply took the Eevee and left. No hello, no goodbye, no 'Where's Lani?'. The six-year-old cried her eyes out later. Ramon did his best to comfort her, saying her mother was a busy woman and was probably occupied with other things.

Ramon, a Unova-born former Trainer, had moved to Alola in hopes of studying the tropical Pokémon. He found them interesting, and he eventually settled down and decided to become a farmer. He had some Mudbray and Mudsdale help with the fields, even some Miltank and a Blissey in case anyone needed extra help. The farm was used mostly for berries, which was the main form of profit. While Pokémon like Mudbray, Mudsdale, Miltank, and Blissey weren't really helpful with berry picking, they did help with the growing process. Ramon and Lani did the berry picking themselves.

The one thing Lani did love about her father were the stories he'd tell about Unova. She loved hearing how different his birth region was compared to Alola. How there were Gym Leaders instead of Trial Captains or Kahunas; how there was an Elite Four and Pokémon League. Ramon would tell about how he gathered all eight Gym Badges, thus being eligible for the League challenge. He'd come close, but lost after a battle with a man named Grimsley.

Lani always wanted to travel to Unova, or any other region like that. From what she understood, Alola was the only region without Gym Leaders or a Pokémon League. How different were the Pokémon in other regions? Ramon would talk about how drastic the differences were in certain Pokémon — unlike the Exeggutor common in Alola, the ones typically seen in other regions didn't have the long necks or a tail. An Alolan Exeggutor would be Grass/Dragon, in other regions an Exeggutor would be Grass/Psychic. Lani thought that alone was mind-blowing. Raichu commonly seen in Alola didn't have the Psychic typing, the Meowth line weren't Dark-types, neither were Rattata or Raticate. From what Ramon had said, the Rattata line in other regions were Normal-type. So was the Meowth line. But as Lani got older, while she was still fascinated by the foundation of other regions, she never had the opportunity to see them. Her mother wouldn't allow it. Ramon couldn't do anything about it. It was only around the time Lani was entering her teenage years her mother would pay more attention to her.

That was also when the young girl met her older siblings.

While it seemed a bit odd that Lani wouldn't realize she had older siblings, that was exactly what happened. She had no idea she had an older brother and sister until her mother suggested she come live with them. At that point, Lani's older brother — older half-brother — was starting to show signs of a rebellious streak. Not only that, but Lani herself was less than pleased that her mother would even _think_ she'd want to live with them. Lani loved living on the farm with her father, where her then Cubone and the other Pokémon were. Her mother was making it difficult for her. She had to beg and plead that she'd still be able to visit her father whenever she wanted, despite her mother being stubborn and refusing. It was in that moment the young girl experienced what her mother's temper was like.

"You are _my_ daughter!" the older woman snapped. "You're supposed to be loyal to _me_! Don't you want my love? Why must you be so ungrateful?" Her voice only rose the more she spoke, to the point to where she was nearly shouting at the top of her lungs. It scared Lani, she didn't want to see her mother like that again. Lani could see the darkened look on her brother's face, and the pale look on her sister's already pale skin. Lani chose to live with her mother and siblings, sneaking Cubone in without her mother knowing. That had been another mistake. Ramon had disliked the idea of his daughter playing with a wild Pokémon, Lani's mother was livid such a thing would be in her pristine building. Lani practically wept to have her Cubone stay with her; that seemed to satisfy her mother somewhat.

It was only after about two years Lani grew tired of living with her mother and...

 _"(Someone's coming)."_ Marowak's response was sharp, having a bit of an edge to it. Lani, Marowak, and Mimikyu had been traveling for most of the day, hoping to avoid any busy routes to try and avoid Trainers and other people. Seemed as though the back-road they took wasn't as unused as they thought. Thankfully, the rain had stopped early in the morning, long before they woke up.

"Is it a Trainer?" Lani murmured, clutching her bag closer. "Can you tell?"

Snorting, Marowak shook his head. _"(They're too far away),"_ he said darkly. _"(They could be more of those people who chased us yesterday)."_

 _"(You think so)?"_ Mimikyu, who was perched on Lani's shoulder, looked anxiously at the Bone Keeper Pokémon. _"(I thought we lost them)."_

"We don't know for sure it's them," Lani murmured. "Let's just be careful, OK? Try not to look so anxious. It'll be fine."

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **I think I mentioned this in the previous chapter, but this is my first time writing a story centered around this fandom. The first few chapters will be really wobbly, and any kind of constructive criticism will be helpful. So if you've got any kind of helpful comments on how to improve these chapters, don't hesitate to let me know, OK? You could PM me or leave a review, I don't care which. I'm also sorry for the wait on this chapter; I just started my second week of community college, so my schedule's been super busy.**

 **Nothing in this fandom belongs to me. All I own are my characters and the subplots I put in.**

 **If you've got suggestions for OCs or subplots, don't hesitate to let me know. You can tell me through reviews or PMs, whichever you prefer. It doesn't matter to me.**

 **Also, I know that with each new season there is of the anime, Ash will be 10. I was thinking of changing that, however, in hopes that maybe Ash being a bit older could work with the story's plot. In this story, I was thinking that maybe he could be somewhere between 14-16 years old. I know there are some people who've been keeping a close eye on Ash's age since the anime first came out, so if you think I'm a bit off with my prediction, let me know.**

 **Other than that, I'm done with this author's note.**

 **Thanks a bunch.**

 **Willow**


	3. Chapter 3

_Maybe I'm foolish_  
 _Maybe I'm blind_  
 _Thinking I can see through this_  
 _And see what's behind_  
 _Got no way to prove it_  
 _So maybe I'm blind_  
 _But I'm only human after all_  
 _I'm only human after all_  
 _Don't put your blame on me_  
 _Don't put your blame on me_

-Human; **by Rag'n'Bone Man**

* * *

The walk was tense, with Lani holding her bag close to her while Marowak and Mimikyu were just as tense and anxious. The young girl tried to keep her eyes forward, but she couldn't help but stare directly at the figure — maybe even _figures_ — that approached them. The backroad the trio was taking was known for being relatively unpopular among Trainers and citizens, that was the main reason Lani chose it. She didn't want to deal with Trainers or curious citizens, or even run into those people who'd chased them down earlier. With Marowak's arm still healing, the last thing they needed was another encounter.

 _"(He doesn't look like the people who chased us),"_ Mimikyu said softly, shifting a little on Lani's shoulder.

"So there's only one of them?" Lani murmured.

 _"(It doesn't mean he won't try something),"_ Marowak grumbled, holding his Bone Club a little tighter. _"(He could be well acquainted with those humans)."_

It wouldn't be surprising. But anyone who worked there, at Lani's mother's company, had a specific dress code to adhere to; and the closer the boy got, the more Lani started to wonder if it was possible he worked for her mother. He looked too young, from what Lani could tell, and he seemed way too energetic, even from the distance the trio was at. Lani's mother wasn't a fan of people — whether it be kids or adults — who had an abundance of unnecessary energy. Not to mention Lani could detect a bit of naivety coming from him, but that was a bit of a stretch. She wasn't going to get ahead of herself.

"He seems too young to work there," Lani muttered, her eyes narrowing slightly. "My mother wouldn't allow someone like him a position." Neither Marowak or Mimikyu responded, and it didn't seem to matter either way to Lani. She wasn't expecting them to. She did believe that he wasn't employed with her mother, simply because of his age and the seemingly energized air that came off him. Lusamine, Lani's mother, made sure to surround herself with people who were, in a sense, elegant yet reserved. From what Lani understood, people who were elegent yet reserved were considered "beautiful". Lani promised herself that she'd hate that word until the day she died. Lusamine used that word so frequently, it lost all meaning and importance. There was nothing of significance behind the word "beautiful", Lani had no use for it, she had no connection to it. Whenever she heard someone who wasn't Lusamine say that blasted word in any way at all, Lani grimaced. She felt her blood curdle. Her attitude would dampen. The boy who was coming towards her, Mimikyu, and Marowak, he didn't seem like the kind of person who'd qualify as "beautiful" in Lusamine's books.

The young boy seemed to not have a care in the world, as he looked at everything with merriment and wonder. A Pikachu was perched on his shoulder as he held the straps of a backpack he wore. His black hair looked messy, though he wore a hat on his head to cover most of it, and his brown eyes were glittering with excitement. That was when Lani realized how close they had gotten. Lani came to see he was a bit taller than her, but not by much. He had on a blue and white striped shirt and some shorts, plus tennis shoes. He had to be a year or two older than Lani, maybe around her older sister Lillie's age. Lillie was fifteen, only a year older than Lani herself. But the boy's appearance made it difficult to really determine his age. When he finally noticed the trio, much to Lani's dismay, his eyes widened with wonder when he saw Marowak and Mimikyu.

"Wow!" he exclaimed, running over to them. "Your Pokémon are so cool!"

Tensing ever so slightly at his sudden approach, Lani studied him carefully before responding. "Thank you," her voice was tense, and she was certain he'd pick up on it. He didn't. His Pikachu did.

"A Marowak and a...," he trailed off. "I don't think I've seen a Pokémon like that before."

Before he could say anything else, and before his Pikachu could try and do anything, the boy's backpack popped open and a Pokédex came out. A Rotom Pokédex. Lani had heard of those before; they were rare, since not every Pokédex distributed to new Trainers were able to connect with Rotom. At least, that was Lani's understanding. She wasn't a Trainer, anyway.

 _"Two new Pokémon!"_ the Rotom-dex exclaimed. Two appendages came out of its sides as it levitated beside the Trainer. _"Do you wish to know what kind they are?"_

"I know that's a Marowak." The boy's face twisted a bit in confusion. "It sure looks weird, though."

 _"An Alolan Marowak is different than a Marowak found in another region,"_ the dex went on. _"Here, let me show you."_ There was a slight pause before the dex continued. _"Marowak: the Bone Keeper Pokémon. A Fire- and Ghost-type Pokémon. The bones it possesses were once its mother's. Its mother's regrets have become like a vengeful spirit protecting this Pokémon."_

A look swept across the boy's face. "That's really dark," he murmured.

"I'm trying to get by," Lani exclaimed, interrupting the conversation going on between boy and machine. "If you wouldn't mind..."*

Blinking a bit in surprise, the boy took a step back while his Rotom-dex looked equally as perplexed. Lani's tone was clipped, her eyes looking between them cautiously. She could detect Marowak's change in attitude at the announcement of his Pokédex entry. It was common knowledge that all Cubone and Marowak, regardless of regional origin, had the looming memories of their mother's deaths. It was difficult to be reminded of something so difficult.

Rubbing the back of his neck anxiously, the boy smiled widely before stepping aside. "Sorry about that," he exclaimed loudly. "I just came to Alola not that long ago! It's awesome seeing all these Pokémon."

Mimikyu looked at Lani before glancing down at Marowak, who was holding his Bone Club tighter than she'd ever seen. His injured arm was being held close to him as he regarded the unknown human in front of him. Obviously the Trainer's Pikachu was more observant than him.

Without so much as a grunt in response, Lani started walking. Marowak was not far behind, glaring at the Rotom-dex hatefully.

"Wait!" the boy nearly shouted. "You're not going to say your name? What if I run into you again?!"

"It'll be highly unlikely."

"Well, I'm Ash Ketchum!" he stammered. "From Pallet Town!"

 _ **. . . .**_

Ash Ketchum. Marowak swore he'd remember that name. While he didn't hold a grudge against the young Trainer per say, he did feel a great deal of anger towards the Rotom-dex he possessed. It wasn't uncommon among the Cubone line that their mothers always seemed to meet an untimely end, which resulted in the skulls and Bone Club the Pokémon possessed. Marowak could very vividly remember the day his mother had been taken down. He was a young Cubone at the time, that had been the reason he'd been wandering around. He wanted to find somewhere to stay, a way to survive. Then he ran into Lani on her father's farm. Their early friendship was shaky in those days, but they grew closer as time went on. Everything that happened afterwards was history.

Looking at his Bone Club, Marowak studied the bluish green flames on both ends, the way it crackled without causing damage to the bone itself. There were no signs of the bone cracking, of the flames charring it.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Marowak let out a frustrated sigh. Looking up at Lani, he could detect she was experiencing some emotional discomfort. Ash Ketchum had certainly made her as nervous as he had expected. Even Mimikyu was anxious, but that was to be expected. The Disguise Pokémon was still young, so she didn't have many experiences in the world yet. Marowak did, and he didn't like how Ash seemed to think the trio would run into him and his Pikachu again. Marowak had to keep in mind, though, that if they did run into Ash again, he'd probably attack them. Not only because of the entry, but because he wanted to keep Lani and Mimikyu safe.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **How was this? Again, these first couple chapters were wobbly, and I'd appreciate some criticism on how to make them better. I'm always for constructive criticism. Also, let me know if I get canon characters wrong. It'd be awkward if I have to go and rewrite a bunch of chapters because I ended up representing the characters incorrectly.**

 **Nothing in this fandom belongs to me.**

 **Leave any thoughts you have on the story so far. I know it's not the best, and I'm hoping to improve it once I have a steady momentum going. Let me know in the reviews.**

 **Also, let me know if you've got an OC or a subplot you'd like added. PM me or leave a review with your thoughts.**

 **Thanks a bunch.**

 **Willow**


	4. Chapter 4

_"Simply put, there's a vast ocean of shit you people don't know shit about. Rick knows every fine grain of said shit...and then some."_

-Abraham Ford; **from The Walking Dead (roughly 2015)**

* * *

"Tell me, Faba, why would those wretched children betray me the way they did?" Lusamine stood in her laboratory, her arms folded across her chest. The blonde woman felt a sense of anger bubbling deep inside her; and it only seemed to grow stronger with each passing day. Lusamine's three children — Gladion, Lillie, and Lani — had, in her mind, betrayed her love. They stole from her, rejected her love and adoration. To the older woman, that was the ultimate sign of disloyalty and ugliness.

Faba, one of Lusamine's most trusted scientists, stood behind her, one hand under his chine, while his other hand was placed on his hip. Faba had been helping Lusamine with her experiments, in hopes that one day the Aether Paradise president would be able to achieve her goal. But because her children had stolen the company's most valuable experiments, Lusamine's goal was put on a standstill. "I can't say I know, ma'am," he replied, his tone lazy, almost indifferent. "Children are nosy, filthy things. Always getting themselves into things that don't concern them."

Lusamine's face scrunched up. "Those are not my children," she seethed. "If they had been loyal to me, then I'd consider it. They're ugly now. They're not worthy of my love."

"Of course," Faba replied. "We'll get those Pokémon back, ma'am. Once they're in our possession again, we'll proceed with the plan."

Turning to look at her scientist, the Aether president's face darkened. "I'd hope the retrieval happens soon, Faba," she replied in a low tone. "I can't keep putting this off. We've wasted too much time already." Placing her hands on her hips, Lusamine looked away from her scientists. "If the Wormhole could be opened, then..."

"Yes," Faba said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "The retrieval shouldn't be long, I assure you. The Wormhole will open, and they'll be able to come through."

A feeling of calm radiated from Lusamine. From the day she first learned about them, the Ultra Beasts, she wanted them for herself. In her mind, the Ultra Beasts were beautiful. Especially Nihilego. That particular Beast was Lusamine's favorite. She wanted Nihilego like she needed air.

"Don't fail me, Faba," she murmured, her voice smaller than usual. That was the effect the Ultra Beasts had on her. "I can't afford anymore failures. Understand?"

"Of course, ma'am."

 _ **. . . .**_

Lani should be happy that Ash didn't try anything. He was more interested in her Pokémon than he was in her, but there was no happiness coming from Lani. In fact, no one in the trio felt any happiness or relief. Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town may have been interested in Marowak and Mimikyu, but that didn't mean he was as innocent as he portrayed himself. Marowak was not only convinced he wanted to fight the young Trainer if another encounter happened, but he convinced himself Ash had accomplices hiding in the shrubbery waiting to come out. Mimikyu was positive that Ash's Pikachu would do some kind of surprise attack on the group the second their guards were down. Lani herself was afraid of what she didn't know. Ash's enthusiasm threw her off a bit, so she wasn't sure how to properly react.

While Lani had convinced herself that Ash couldn't be an employee of her mother's, that didn't stop herself from thinking he may know Lusamine in some way. The Aether Paradise, where Lani spent a couple years with her mother and siblings, had people who weren't employees but were known to keep an eye out for any particular activity. Ash could've been one of those people.

A shiver ran up the young girl's spine. She could only hope that Ash wasn't that.

"Are you both OK?" she asked, glancing at Mimikyu and Marowak. "Do either of you want to rest for a bit?"

 _"(No),"_ Marowak said, his voice firm. _"(We can't stop. Not now. We don't know what kind of tricks Ash has up his sleeve)."_

 _"(I have a feeling Marowak is right),"_ Mimikyu murmured. _"(Ash could have something waiting for us, waiting to attack once we're vulnerable)."_

"So keep going?" Lani asked. "That's the decision?" When both Pokémon nodded, Lani nodded in return. She trusted their judgment, if that was what they wanted, she'd go with it.

 _ **. . . .**_

"What do you think was up with that girl?" Ash murmured. Ever since he and Pikachu had continued their journey back to Professor Kukui's place, the girl had been on Ash's mind. She was really standoffish, and it only took the young Trainer a good couple minutes to realize it. It wasn't like he could go back and ask her what was wrong, he didn't even know where she had gone once he left. All he wanted was to get to know her Pokémon! Had he come off too strong and it surprised her? Maybe. Sometimes Ash could get a little over-excited. How else was he supposed to react? He got to see an Alolan Marowak and a newer Alolan Pokémon.

 _"(I don't really know),"_ Pikachu said. _"(I think she was a bit uncomfortable with how you approached her, though. Her Marowak didn't seem too pleased, either)."_

Looking down, Ash tried to think over how the encounter went down. He knew that the Cubone line had a hard history when it came to their mothers, so maybe Rotom-dex was more responsible for Marowak's reaction than he was. But, in hindsight, Ash didn't do anything to stop Rotom-dex from saying Marowak's entry.

"Do you think we'll see her again?" he asked.

 _"(Maybe),"_ Pikachu responded. _"(But Alola has four separate islands. She'll probably be going to another one for all we know)."_

Setting his jaw, Ash knew that he had to see her again. He wanted to make amends with her, to show her he wasn't a bad person. If he was given the opportunity to explain the situation, then things would be good between them. That was Ash's promise.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **I know this chapter is short, and probably not that good, but here it is! It's a bit of a jumble between Lani's POV, Lusamine's POV, and Ash's POV. What do you guys think?**

 **I own nothing in this fandom. All I can claim are my OCs and the subplots I put in.**

 **Before I wrap this author's note up, I'd like to thank the kind reviewer,** _eevee_ **, for the reviews they left. I greatly appreciate everything you've said! Hopefully I can hear from you again, my friend.**

 **Thanks a bunch.**

 **Willow**


	5. Chapter 5

_"The next generation will always surpass the previous one. It's one of the never-ending cycles in life."_

-Kakashi Hatake; **from the Naruto/Naruto Shippuden series**

* * *

 _"Lillie, Gladion, I'd like to introduce you to someone." Lusamine stood in front of her two eldest children, Lani off to the side. Lillie and Gladion looked between their mother and the anxious redhead beside her. The two older siblings never met Lani before, they had no idea who she was. Was she someone Lusamine had recently hired? It didn't seem likely, since Lani was too young to be an Aether employee. "This is Lani, your half-sister," Lusamine said, waving to the redhead._

 _Gladion's eyes widened. He looked at Lani from head to toe. A whirlwind of emotions swirled inside him. Half-sister? He had a half-sister? Lusamine hadn't mentioned her having another child; so what was this? It was hard enough already with him and Lillie dealing with their mother, now they had to take in the news of a new sibling? A glare came across Gladion's face as he regarded Lani. She was very aware of his look and shrunk away from him. She gripped the straps of her backpack, shutting herself off even more from her surroundings._

 _Lillie, on the other hand, wasn't as angry as her brother was. She was mortified, to say the least. She didn't even_ begin _to think that she'd have a half-sister, though Lusamine did make an effort to ensure that her eldest children were sent away for months at a time. Was it because Lusamine was pregnant? It was almost disturbing to think about. Lillie was accustomed to being the youngest, to being the "baby" of the family. How could all of that change so drastically?_

 _"Lani, these are my eldest children, Gladion and Lillie." Lusamine waved to her eldest siblings. Lani couldn't bring herself to look Gladion or Lillie in the eye. She could practically_ see _the unpleasant emotions radiating off the two older kids. It made Lani uncomfortable, it made her feel even more out of place. Ramon had convinced Lani no to worry so much, that living with Lusamine and the others would be good. Lani came to see that her father was wrong. Gladion had shown an immediate dislike to her; Lillie seemed just as dissatisfied, if not more so. "We'll finally be a real family," Lusamine exclaimed. "Won't it be beautiful?"_

 _The youngest sibling couldn't help but cringe at that word. Apparently, Lusamine couldn't see just how awful everything was turning out._

 ** _. . . ._**

Lani remembered in great detail the day she moved in with Lusamine. It was far from a good experience. Gladion had refused to speak or even acknowledge Lani; Lillie would talk to her if she had to, but other than that, she refused to be anywhere near where Lani happened to be. Lani tried to get to know her older half-siblings, but their blatant refusal to even _look_ at her made Lani realize that she didn't belong with them. She didn't belong in Aether Paradise. Lani wanted to go back to her father and their farm. She wanted to play with Cubone on the land Ramon owned, to spend time with the Mudsdale and Mudbray; to help the Blissey with any injuries...Lani wanted to go back to where she fit in most.

Aether Paradise was a wonderful place, Lani was not afraid to admit it, but it was too much for her. All the workers, all that open space, the artificial living areas for the Pokémon...it didn't settle well with Lani. The Pokémon who lived at Aether Paradise were having a splendid time, but Lani couldn't make herself enjoy anything. None of the workers wanted to help her get acquainted with anything. Well, all except one. Ms. Wicke was a caring person, the only one who went out of her way to make Lani feel welcome.

"I know this may be hard for you," Wicke would say, "but try not to focus on it _too_ much. Everything will get better, trust me. If you ever need to talk, I'll always be here for you. Nothing you tell me will be spoken to anyone else."

Ms. Wicke had become one of Lani's closest friend at Aether Paradise. No, Ms. Wicke became Lani's _only_ friend at Aether Paradise, besides Cubone, who'd been smuggled into the facility. It was Ms. Wicke who'd given Lani advice whenever Lusamine was too busy to be bothered. It was Ms. Wicke who'd gone out of her way to spend time with Lani when Lillie and Gladion refused to acknowledge her. It was Ms. Wicke who convinced Lani to steal the Pokémon and leave when things got out of control.

There were so many things that the young girl wanted answers to, but she knew she had to find them out for herself. Lusamine had started a tsunami of pain and confusion for everyone around her. Gladion, Lillie, and Lani all abandoned their mother and her obsessive nature; they abandoned the years of ridicule and heartache she gave them. Well, not completely. All the things Lusamine did to her children still lingered in the backs of their minds. Maybe, even if all the chaos the Aether Paradise tangled itself into evened itself out, the three children could find a way to reconnect with each other. That thought alone was enough to make Lani feel a deep, throbbing ache in her chest. Gladion and Lillie never wanted Lani to interfere in their lives. She never belonged. That was something the young girl had to learn to accept, but she just couldn't do it.

Her entire life, Lani never once thought she'd want to have siblings. Ramon never showed any interest in anyone other than Lusamine, and Lani knew her mother refused to have anymore children after Lani's birth. Having grown up with Ramon for most of her life, Lani had grown accustomed to the illusion of being an only child. Lani preferred to go back to that lifestyle, and, for the most part, tried to keep any memory of Gladion or Lillie locked away. If she didn't matter at all to them, why should she be thinking or worrying about them? It just didn't make any sense.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **What'd you think of this chapter? It kind of went into detail on how the relationship between Lani, Lillie, and Gladion was like. I'll be sure to go into more depth later on, but this is more or less the foundation of how they all felt about each other. If you've got any idea on how to improve this chapter, let me know in the comment section.**

 **Nothing in this fandom belongs to me. All I own are my characters and subplots.**

 **If you've got an OC or a subplot you'd like added to the story, leave a review or PM me. I'll add it in as soon as possible.**

 **Thanks a bunch.**

 **Willow**


	6. Chapter 6

_"I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are."_

-Mewtwo; **from Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back (1999)**

* * *

 _"I just don't understand it, Ms. Wicke." Lani was fidgeting in her seat, fiddling with her fingers anxiously. She'd been talking for Ms. Wicke for a better part of the older woman's break. Wicke had no problems listening to the young girl's problems. Ever since Lani had come to live in the Aether Paradise, things had been difficult. Gladion and Lillie were refusing to acknowledge their youngest sibling at all, and it was effecting Lani greatly. "What did I do that made them not like me?" the young girl asked. "I'm just as surprised as they are. Lusamine didn't even tell me I had older siblings until I got here."_

 _"Don't blame yourself," Wicke replied, giving a comforting smile. "Gladion and Lillie are..."_

 _"Please don't say 'adjusting'," Lani exclaimed. "It's been over two weeks and they won't even look me. I may as well go back to my father."_

 _Wicke's face fell, her eyes hardening. "You know how your mother would feel about that," she rebutted. "Lusamine's a very strong-willed person, she stops at nothing to get what she wants."_

 _"She doesn't need me here." The young girl looked over at where her Cubone was, the young Pokémon napping on a bundle of blankets on the ground. Wicke was the only person who knew that Cubone had accompanied Lani to Aether. The older woman had warned Lani that should Lusamine discover the Ground-type Pokémon, the consequences would be dire. "Why Lusamine felt the need to bring me all the way over here makes no sense," Lani grumbled. "I was perfectly fine on my father's farm."_

 _"You're still her daughter." Wicke threw a sympathetic look the young girl's way. "I'd like to think that maybe your mother's trying to catch up on lost time." All the older woman got was a snort in response. "You think I'm wrong?" she questioned._

 _"Lusamine hasn't gone out of her way to do anything with me," Lani said. "Ever since she made me come here, she's been locked up doing work. The last time I saw her was almost a week ago, and that was because she needed to ask me something." Fiddling with the edge of her t-shirt, Lani shrugged. "It's just like back home," she grumbled._

 _The older woman looked at Lani with a forlorn look on her face. Lani really wanted to spend time with her mother, but because of Lusamine's obsession with the Ultra Beasts, it was wedging itself between them. The same could be said about Gladion and Lillie, as well. Lusamine's two older children were starting to become restless due to their mother's constant need for perfection, her constant need for beauty. Gladion's behavior was becoming less and less what his mother wanted and more rebellious, he'd lash out more whenever he got mad and Lusamine would lash right back. Lillie would do subtle things, things Lusamine wouldn't catch on to right away. Unlike her brother, who was more upfront with his erratic behavior, Lillie was acting out in a way that wouldn't draw too much attention. Lani was still trying to figure out what kind of relationship she wanted with her mother. Wicke could tell that even the slightest bit of affection would make a smile come across the young girl's face, even more so from her siblings, but Lani was being isolated. She was being ignored._

 _"You know I'm always here for you, right?" Wicke asked, her tone soft. "You don't have to think you're alone here."_

 _"You don't need to go out of your way for someone like me." Lani shrugged her shoulders. "Aether Paradise is big. I could do some exploring, get Cubone adjusted to everything." The small Pokémon lifted his head at the mention of his name. Lani gave a small smile Cubone's direction. "Don't worry about Lusamine finding out about Cubone, either," Lani added. "I've done a good job at hiding him so far."_

 ** _. . . ._**

"How are you doing on the retrieval, Faba?" Lusamine glanced back at her top scientist with a perfectly arched brow. Lusamine wasn't a patient woman to say the least. When she had her mind on something, she'd stop at nothing to get it done, regardless of setbacks.

"We're doing the best we can, ma'am," Faba responded, waving his hands absentmindedly. "As of now, we're just going over the data we _do_ have. Without Cosmog, though, it's hard to tell what needs improvement..."

"There's still one Null left," Lusamine responded. "Why not send more forces out with it to find that blasted Pokémon?"

"Because we're not entirely sure where Lillie has run off to." Faba shrugged nonchalantly. "She has completely dropped off the radar with Cosmog. She could be anywhere."

"Alola isn't that big," Lusamine responded, "even if there _are_ four islands."

"What if she and the Pokémon were transported somewhere outside of Alola?" Faba questioned. "Some of the workers who chased her down said Cosmog teleported itself and Lillie off Aether grounds, so they could very well be in another region."

The older woman's face scrunched up. "That thing was always smarter than I gave it credit for," she muttered. "But it doesn't matter. We'll get it back, won't we, Faba?"

"Of course, ma'am."

"And I was serious about using that last Type: Null," Lusamine responded. "Have some of our workers use it to track down those disgraceful children. Maybe it could be useful after all."

"I don't see how that could work," Faba responded. "The Type: Null were supposed to be Ultra Beast fighters, not trackers."

"They were failures," Lusamine responded. "Whatever you and your workers did to make them made them ugly and unstable. Who knows, though, maybe this last one could help us find Cosmog? Besides, isn't Cosmog supposed to be an Ultra Beast, anyway?"

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **Another short chapter, but hopefully it's tolerable anyway. If there's anything you believe needs improvement, be it in this chapter or previous ones, let me know and I'll do my best to change it. Other than that, I hope things are getting interesting so far.**

 **Nothing in this fandom belongs to me, and I have a feeling that you guys already know this. Why am I still doing these disclaimers?**

 **Also, if you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, don't hesitate to let me know. I would love to put in your characters and/or subplots into the story! I think the contributions of reviewers are super important.**

 **Thanks a bunch.**

 **Willow**


	7. Chapter 7: Author's Note

_"So much later that the old narrator got tired of waiting, and they had to hire a new one."_

-Narrator; **from Spongebob**

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **For those of you who were expecting a chapter, I'm sorry that all you got was this. But I'm hoping that you guys can show a bit of patience until the newest one gets posted, OK? Other than that, I thought I'd at least mention and ask a few things from you guys. Just to get some things off my chest, ya know?**

 **First off, as I'm sure plenty of you already know, there's the massacre that happened at the Las Vegas concert. I'm hoping — praying — that a lot of you didn't have any family or friends down in Vegas when the shooting happened. For any of you who knew someone who was there, I'm hoping they made it out alive and well. Something like this, in my opinion at least, feels like it's happening way too often these days. It feels like there's always a big mass shooting every year, and it's getting out of hand. Hopefully something changes in the future, but I'm not holding my breath on it happening any time soon. Again, hopefully those of you who had family or friends visiting or living in Vegas didn't endure the shooting. Hopefully anyone who currently lives in Vegas didn't attend that concert. Having to go through something like that is something I cannot comprehend and I'm sorry for anyone who had to go through that.**

 **Secondly, the story. I know it's only seven chapters in — technically six, since this is an author's note — but I'm starting to have those little bits of doubt pop in surrounding this story. I know there's plenty of room for development plot-wise and character-wise, but I feel like there's something about this story that isn't quite right and I can't put my finger on it. It could be because the previous chapters had an air of repetitiveness to it, or maybe my OCs weren't as interesting as I'd hope they'd be, or maybe I was displaying the canon characters wrong in some way. I don't know. There's something that seems off, and when I started rereading the previous chapters, I just couldn't understand how to make the story better. All of that could be in my head and I'm just overreacting! That would definitely be awesome. Unfortunately, that may not be the case. So I'm looking to you guys, dear reviewers, to give some feedback on what seems wrong about this story so far.**

 **It's kind of me just hoping to get some constructive criticism and to, hopefully, ease the discomfort I'm feeling about this. I'm hoping to continue with this story, and it'd suck if there was a discontinuation in the future. I feel like Lani could do so much more, there could be a lot to explore in her background with her family and there could be countless possibilities with her, Ash, and the other SUN and MOON characters. I don't know...I'll leave it up to you guys.**

 **As a side note, something that could hopefully lighten the mood, how many of you saw the trailers for ULTRA SUN and ULTRA MOON? I think it looks promising, since it seems like the games will be focusing on the Ultra Wormholes/Ultra Space, the Ultra Beasts, Necrozma, and Lunala/Solgaleo. To me, ULTRA SUN and ULTRA MOON look a lot better than what SUN and MOON had to offer. For anyone who played SUN/MOON know, the Ultra Beasts didn't have that big of a role _(at least, it felt like the Ultra Beasts' role in the game was rushed)_ , the Ultra Wormhole/Ultra Space wasn't heavily explored, and once the main storyline was finished and once the player captured all the Beasts, there wasn't much left to do. It looks like ULTRA SUN/ULTRA MOON gives the player more options on what to do — exploring Ultra Space and seeing where the Beasts live, for one. Not only that, but there's a new team that may become the main antagonists of the story _(though I do feel like Necrozma will serve as an antagonist, as well)_. They seem WAY better than Team Skull.**

 **I digress.**

 **I'd say it's about time to wrap this up, don't you?**

 **Stay safe, my friends. My thoughts and prayers are out to everyone from the Las Vegas incident.**

 **Thanks a bunch.**

 **Willow**


	8. Chapter 8

_Don't make me sad, don't make me cry_  
 _Sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough_  
 _I don't know why_  
 _Keep making me laugh, let's go get high_  
 _The road is long, we carry on_  
 _Try to have fun in the meantime_

-Born to Die; **from Lana Del Rey**

* * *

 _"This is Lani, your half-sister. We'll finally be a real family. Won't it be beautiful?" Those words rang in Gladion's head for days afterward. How was he supposed to feel about a girl he'd never met before being his_ sister _?* Things were difficult enough when it was just him and Lillie, so why did Lusamine have to make everything ten times harder? And Lani...Lani knew that she didn't belong with them. It was written all over her face. Gladion did feel bad for her, but he couldn't help the anger and hurt he felt. Lusamine had gone out of her way to have another child. With_ another man _! It felt as if Lusamine had betrayed her first husband, Mohn. Mohn, the father of Lusamine's eldest children. It didn't matter if he'd disappeared or not, the fact that Lusamine had gone out of her way to meet up with someone else, to have a_ child _with this other person, made Gladion unintentionally blame Lani._

 _As for Lillie, she wasn't exactly showing her emotions outwardly. Lillie's emotions tended to be more reserved, thanks to Lusamine's heavy influence on her. Growing up, Lillie had been under the belief that she had to keep herself as reserved emotionally as possible. A "proper" young woman wasn't prone to outbursts, she was polite and kind, despite any troubles she was feeling. Gladion caught on to how Lillie was feeling right away, despite her not showing it. She wasn't happy either, though Gladion had to wonder if it was for the same reason he was feeling. Lillie could either be upset because she wasn't the youngest anymore, maybe because she wouldn't be getting most of Lusamine's attention — or what little attention Lusamine was willing to give them anyway. Maybe Lillie's anger was something more deeper than that._

 _Whatever the reason, the two older siblings looked at the redhead standing beside their mother. They saw how small she was trying to make herself. They saw how she wouldn't exactly meet their gazes. Lani was already feeling out of place at Aether, and it was obvious she'd have a very hard time fitting in._

 _ **. . . .**_

It had been months since Gladion spoke to his family. It had been months since he'd even been in contact with them. Obviously Lusamine wouldn't want to talk to him about anything, but Lillie and Lani had no idea where he'd gone. Gladion had stolen one of the failed Type: Null experiments and escaped, joining up temporarily with Team Skull in hopes of gaining more power. Without the looming presence of his mother, Gladion could finally take a breath; though being alone and, essentially, homeless was something that hung over his head. Type: Null was definitely a challenge, considering the Synthetic Pokémon didn't trust humans at all. In total, the Aether Foundation had created three Type: Null experiments, all three of them failed due to their instability. Lusamine had forced an end to the experiments, since they were obviously going nowhere. Lusamine had suffered a great blow to her ego that her supposedly "precious Beast fighters" weren't even stable enough to live among humans or Pokémon.

Gladion took one of them because he couldn't stand the treatment they endured. Because the Null experiments were unstable, they had no control over their powers. The mask that covered Null's head was said to stabilize its powers, and Gladion was doing everything he could to find a way to take it off. The mask itself was made by the Aether Foundation, probably handmade by Faba, so it would probably be impossible to get it off without going back to Lusamine. As much as it pained Gladion to think about his companion in such a state, he knew there wasn't much he could do. The best solution would be to train Null up until the Synthetic Pokémon could get the mask off itself.

Evidently, the past couple months proved to be harder than he could've imagined. Living on his own made Gladion realize how easy he had it back at Aether. Lusamine had countless workers give him and his sisters whatever they wanted. Whenever his mother wasn't around, whether she was too busy with the Ultra Beasts or too caught up in something else, Gladion had the company of workers like Wicke.* Wicke had been a kind of consultant for the young boy; giving him advice on all his problems and pointing him in the right direction. He was grateful for her. Gladion noticed how Wicke would occasionally help Lillie with certain problems, but more importantly, spend time with Lani. It didn't go unnoticed by anyone that Lani was isolated by her siblings. The day Lusamine announced that Lani was actually her youngest child, and she'd be living at Aether with them, Gladion refused to believe it. He didn't _want_ to believe it. How could his mother go out and have another child? What about Mohn, her first husband? The father of her eldest children? Didn't Mohn still mean something to her? He may of disappeared, but they were still legally married. Then again, Lusamine tended to toss things aside that were no longer useful for her. Mohn had been the one to really start the studies of Ultra Beasts and Ultra Wormholes; he gave the foundation for Lusamine's obsession. When Mohn disappeared, Lusamine essentially tossed him aside.

He was no longer around so he was no longer useful.

Maybe that was the main reason Gladion refused to acknowledge Lani's relation to him. Since she was the child of Lusamine and another man, that meant that Gladion's mother had truly thrown Mohn out of her life. That part of her life was no longer relevant. The big question was, though, was why Lusamine felt the need to have another child anyway. She never voiced wanting more children, she seemed satisfied with having Gladion and Lillie. What was Lani's purpose? What made her so beneficial to Lusamine?

Just like Gladion, Lillie had been upset over the situation, expressing it in her own way. Gladion tended to outwardly express his feelings more than Lillie, though. Lusamine had taught Lillie to be reserved in her emotions, that any kind of outburst would be considered "ugly" and "unladylike". Those statements would always make Gladion roll his eyes. As if his _mother_ could be an expert on how to control her emotions. Lillie, however, took those words to heart; she kept herself in check, only showing even a _hint_ emotion if the situation was severe enough. Lani's arrival to Aether had been severe enough for Gladion to see a flicker of anger sweep across Lillie's face. Lani had picked up on the anger that came across the older children's features; she knew they weren't happy with her being there. She knew she didn't belong. Gladion and Lillie made it their mission to not interact with her, so Lani's only choice was to go to Wicke. Maybe the two older children were harsh on her, maybe they could've at least given her a chance, but they couldn't. They _wouldn't_. Things were hard enough when it was just the two of them, but with Lani there, it would be even harder. Lusamine had expectations that Lani would be happily accepted. In reality, no one really wanted her there.

Lani caught on to that. She understood she was the odd man out. After a while, she gave up trying to interact with her older half-siblings. It wasn't worth it. She retreated to doing other things. Gladion should've been happy about that, except he actually wasn't. He felt guilty for making Lani feel that way. Or, he was in the beginning stages of that guilt. It would take Gladion stealing one of the Null experiments and running away for him to truly feel the guilt of how Lani had been treated. If he were still living at Aether, if he had a second chance, he'd try and gain some kind of relationship with Lani. But for all he knew, it could already be too late.

* * *

 **(A/N):**

 **If you've got any constructive criticism for this chapter, don't hesitate to let me know. I'm not sure how I feel about this one, but hopefully it's at least a little interesting. As you guys can see, it was told through Gladion's POV. A kind reviewer suggested that I at least give some perspective on how Gladion and Lillie felt about Lani's arrival, so why not give it a try?**

 **I own nothing in this franchise. All I own are my characters and the subplots I put in.**

 **For anyone who's got an OC or a subplot that they wanted written into the story, PM me or leave a review and I'll put it in as soon as I can.**

 **So yeah.**

 **Thanks a bunch.**

 **Willow**


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